Combination-tool



(No Model.)

G. S. NEELEY, A. MAITLAND 82 Gr. BIRKIGHT.

- -O0MBINATION TOOL.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE s. NEELEY, ALEXANDER MAITLAND, AND GEORGE BIRKICHT, OF PACIFIC, MISSOURI.

COMBINATION-TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0'. O4, 478, dated May 24, 1898. Application filed July 2,1897- Serial No. 643,246. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE S. NEELEY, ALEXANDER MAITLAND, and GEORGE BIR- K-ICHT, citizens of the United States, residing at Pacific, in the county of Franklin and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Combination-Tool, of which the following is a specification. v

Our invention relates to combination-tools, and particularly to a tool adapted for the use of railway freight and station agents; and the object in view is to combine in a single tool of simple and compact construction a plurality of devices which are required in connection with the handling of freight, the sealing and opening of cars, &c.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sideview of a combination-tool constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a partial side view of the same, the sealing devices and contiguous parts being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal section of the sealing devices and contiguous parts on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a detail view of one end of the handle,which forms the pinch-bar.

, Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of the pivotal rein. Figs. 6 and [7 are detail views of the sealing or stamping dies detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in allthe figures of the drawings. 7

The body portion of the tool embodying our invention consists of a shank or handle 1, terminating at one end in a head 2 and at the other end in a fulcrum-foot 3, said head being preferably shaped to form a hatchet, with the usual blade 4 and poll 7. Thus by reversingthe handle OISllELIlk the body portion of the tool is adapted to be used either as a hatchet or hammer or as a pinch-bar. The rear end of the handle or shank, which is constructed, as described, to form a fulcrumfoot, is preferably bifurcated, as shown at6, to form a claw suitable for drawing nails;

but the main function of thisportion of the device is to assist in opening car-doors, raising hasps, and similar purposes where the difficulty of operating them is too great to permit of their unassisted manual adj ustment.

Contiguous to the head of the body portion of the tool we preferably form an enlargement, which is recessed to form a parallelsided guide bounded by side checks 7 and 7, and in this recess between the said cheeks is fulcru'med a rein or lever 8. Intersecting the recess is a transverse opening 9, beyond which the recess is extended to form a seat 10 for a fixed die 11, the die being secured in the seat by means of a set-screw 12 or its equivalent. The cooperating movable die 13 is mounted in the guide formed by the par allel-sided recess between thecheeks or ears 7 7 in operative relation with the lever or rein, the latter being provided with a nib or projection 14 to engage 'a'notch 15 in the movable die.

The recessed enlargement in which the cooperatingfixed and'movable dies are removably mounted is provided with a cavity of a width equal to the diameter of the fixed die 11 to provide for the removal of said fixed die through the open end of the recess after dismounting the operating-lever 8, and while said cavity is open at its side and inner end the operating-lever, of which the swinging movement is checked in one direction by contact with the shank 1, is of such construction as to close said side and end of the cavity when it is in its normal position in contact with the shank. In other words, the lever is of equal width with the cavity in the enlargement and extends beyond its fulcrum-point to close the side of the cavity and thus exclude dust from the die -faces when the hatchet-head is in use. Dust entering the lateral openings 9 when the hatchet-head is in use cannot reach the die-faces from the fact that said die-faces when the operatinglever is in its normal position are in contact, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be seen, furthermore, that the intermediate enlargement of the shank is arranged with its side surfaces flush with the planes of the corresponding sides of the shank, the enlargement being in the plane of the hatchet-head, whereby the enlargement does not interfere with the use of the hatchet-head.

It is obvious that in practice this combination of parts, including the fixed and movable dies, may be adapted, so far as the construction of the faces thereof is concerned, to the particular use for which the tool is designed; but for freight-agents use these dies are pref erably constructed to form a sealing-stamp for compressing the seal after application to a door-car, and inasmuch as the die-blocks are arranged in a recess closed at opposite sides by the described checks or cars and accessible only through the transverse opening intersecting the recess the die-faces are protected from injury by contact with other objects during the performance by the tool of other functions. The die-blocks are equal in thickness with the recess to bear snugly against the surfaces of the walls thereof and are of greater width than the lateral openings 9, whereby when the movable die is advanced it completely closes said lateral openings and excludes dust from the interior of the recess. Thus when the sealing device is not in use it is protected from injury. Also, in connection with a sealing-tool we preferably provide means for severing the wire of a seal-loop, and hence construct the cheek or ear 7 with a cutting edge (see Fig. 3) to cooperate with a corresponding cutting edge 7 on a contiguous shoulder of the lever or rein. The blade of the head is also preferably provided with the usual nail-notch 16.

To explain more fully the functions of the tool embodying our invention, it should be understood that in addition to sealing and unsealing car-doors, for which purpose the sealing-dies and wire-cutting devices are employed, a freight agent frequently finds difficulty in removing cleats or strips applied by some shippers to the car-doors in addition-t0 the usual sealing devices, and hence the advantage in havinga tool embodying ahatchet, which may be used without loss of time incident to procuring an additional tool and which also obviates the inconvenience of carrying a plurality of tools while proceeding with the sealing and unsealing operations in connection with a plurality of cars. Also it is frequently difficult, after the release of a car-door, to slide it to its open position, by reason of the warping or sticking thereof or other causes, as by the swelling of the material, and hence the pinch-bar enables the agent to start the door and move it to sucha point as to enable him to obtain an efficient grasp of the edge of the door. A freight-agent is also frequently called upon to open boxes or crates of freight or to repair those which have become injured in transit, and for these purposes also the tool is of advantage in connection with the usual functions of a freight or station agent.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim is 1. The herein-described tool for the purpose named, having a shank terminating at one end in a hatchet poll and blade and at the other end in a fulcrum-foot, and provided at an intermediate point with a recessed enlargement having communicating side openings and a socket, fixed and movable dies, seated respectively in said socket and recess, of greater Width than the lateral opening to close the same and exclude dust when the movable die is advanced, and a lever operatively connected with the movable die, substantially as specified.

2. A car-seal press having its shank provided with an intermediate recessed enlargement provided with side openings communicating with its recess, and with a socket also communicating and alined with the recess, the recess being equal in width with the socket and being open at its inner end, cooperating fixed. and movable dies arranged respectively in said socket and in the recess of the enlargement, and removable through the end opening of the latter, and a lever fulcrumed in the recess of the enlargement in operative engagement with the movable die, and fitted snugly in the recess to close the open end thereof when in its normal position, substantially as specified.

A car-seal press having its shank provided with an intermediate recessed enlargement having side openings communicating with its recess, and a socket alined with the recess and also communicating therewith, the recess being provided with an open inner end, fixed and movable dies fitted respectively in said socket and recess andremovable through the opening of the latter, and a lever removably fulcrumed in the recess of the enlargement in operative engagement with the movable die, and adapted normally to occupy a position in contact with the shank and closing said open end of the recess to exclude dust therefrom, whereby the dies are held from displacement when the lever is mounted in the recess, substantially as specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEO. S. NEELEY. ALEXANDER MAITLAND. GEO. BIRKIOHT.

\Vitnesses:

HELEN BOOTH, LUCY F. BOOTH. 

